Tankopedia
InterwarLightLight TankUnited Kingdom

Vickers 6-Ton (Mark E)

In service 1929 - 1940s

A private-venture export light tank whose leaf-spring suspension and layout influenced armour design worldwide.

Built byVickers-Armstrongs

Vickers 6-Ton (Mark E)
Vickers6ton front — Balcer~commonswiki, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5

Development history

The British Army never adopted the 6-Ton, but Vickers sold it energetically abroad and its design DNA reappeared in the Soviet T-26, the Polish 7TP and Italian and Japanese projects. Its twin-turret and single-turret versions bracketed the interwar argument about whether a tank should sweep infantry or kill other tanks. Export customers fought it on both sides of the Spanish Civil War and the opening campaigns of 1939-41.

Variants

One canonical record, 3 recorded variants.

  1. Type A

    1929

    Twin machine-gun turrets.

  2. Type B

    1930

    Single turret with a 47 mm gun and coaxial machine gun.

  3. 7TP

    1935

    Polish development with a diesel engine and 37 mm Bofors gun.

Notable actions

  • Spanish Civil War (1936-39)
  • Invasion of Poland (1939)
  • Winter War (1939-40)